New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-17
ing into conspiracy with aprssssona burglar. Charles
Coleman; Lieutenant Duffy Of tho East St Louis police.
and liquor seller. "Pat" Eagan, for the purpose OF
plundsring the vault
FALL OF A GAS hOUSE ROOF.
MANY WORKMEN NARROWLY ESCAPE FROM
DEATH.
SOME OF THEM BURIED IN THE RUINS, But NOT
DANGEROUSLY HURr-PEcULIAR CHAR

oOaiE Of 1hEM nChAhD AN AnH nSA-'S' DS- -'O-
DANGEROUSLY HURr-PECULIAR CHAR
ACTER or THE ACCIDENT.
The works of the Metropolitan Branch Of the
Consolidated Gas Company are between Eleventh
and Twelfth aves, and the warehouses take in
nearly the whole block between Forty first and
Forty second SITS The retort house is on the south
side of Forty 1t is about 800 feet long and
fifty feet wide. The walls are of brick, and about
twenty-five feet high 1t is in this building that
the first process in gas making is carried on. and
the heat is more than enough to satisfy an
rdnary mortal, even on cold day. In the centre
Of the long room freboXes, in two tiers one
above the other, into which men are shOvelng
coal night and day. AS these boxes are close
together it makes an almost solid bank of fire,
and when the doors are thrown open tongues of
flame of many mingled colors leap out into the
and throw weird light upon the begrimed
wOrllmen. The number of men at work here varies
with the amount of business. Yesterday twenty
five men were there u few more than the average
The men had passed the noon hour eating their
luncheons and resting, and had only been a few
seconds looking through the doors to
examine the condition of the fires,
when there was an ominous cracking
sound overhead. 1he roof seemed to tremble and
shake if il had been struck by strong wind,
room could reach the exits leading TO the yard
the roof had fallen upon their heads. Those who
had escaped INJURY tumbled over each other in
frantic effort to get TO u place of safety. There
was a good sized anc in all parts Of the works.
The strange manner in which the roof fell
enabled about twenty of the frcmen to get out
OF the building and into the yard, and to escape
unhurt. 1 he roof was peaked che and ran the
entire length OF the building without any division
lcngthwse. There were openings near the top
which could be adj justed from below. The roof was
on the truss plan, and all the frame work was
OF iron. The ralters were marrow strips which ran
from the side walls to the centre supports at the
top. Light gIrdcrs ran stIaIght across from wall
to wall, and resting upon the girdcrs were rods
which were PROJECTED from the raiters at different
anglc The weight OF the structure was thrown
upon the girders and walls The rOOI, the body OI
which was hight slate squares, Dcgan TO lail at
the eastern end. About thirty feet OF 1t came
down IN n lump. and then the Impulse was slowly
communicated from girder TO gIrder and along the
whole length Of the roof until IT was all down.
This took several seconds. and IL went down like
"A of bricks set on end.
Five persons were buried in the mass Of slate and
broken iron. None Of them were unconscious, ana
they talked TO each other and found out that
they were none Of them seriously injured. As soon
as the danger from the falling pieces OF shte was
over and the excitement in measure had Sunsded,
ing walls and assisted the injured men into the
ward, where they were temporarily cared for.
fire alarm rung Immediately after the roof
fell and two calls were sent ont for ambuHhces.
I'm a little while the fire engines and the am
bulanccs arrived. followed by a great crowd OF
Icoplc.
ANXIOUS CROWDS OUTSIDE THE GATES.
The rumor had $, read that the gas works had
blown up and many Of the worSmcn had been
killed, and the crowd became denser every moment.
and there was for time nearly as much of
panic in the street as within the gas works. The
wives and families OF the worllmcn wore persistent
i'm their demand to get within the gates. but they
were kept out and assured that one was dead
or likely 10 die. The reserves from the Thirty
seventh street Police Station were sent 70 the
works and formed n line several hundred feet
away and restored order and traffic in Forty
second st. which had lccn suspended.
The INJURED men are:
WILLIAM r. LvNplr 'nrcri.t-nlcnt. age forty.hye ot
40 f6l west Forty thrst fracture OF left leg scalp
CHARLES WHITE. ago twentv-siH. fireman. OF No. oio
Wfc%,rG CT,wroRn. age dfty OF No 800 West Thirty
scconds' fireman severe contusionS in back andhnnry
FRNsr KURT. acc twcnty-thrce Of No 5st Eleventh,
ave- fireman; haiiy laccratei logs and severe internal
Injuries.
These men wcrc al taken TO the Roosevelt Hos
p;tal several other men who had been struck and
slirhtlv hurt were treated by the ambullncc SUP
ccons ~ the gaS works II is not thought that
any of the injured men VIII die.
FvfrYrEING So0N GOING oN As USUAL.
As soon as confidence was restored and il was
seen that the two side walt, were intact, although
they were ba1ly cut Of plumb about the middle,
the ircmcn cleared away the debris and went
contcntcoN back 70 shovcIng coal H. II nothing
Lnd n. u.ucI 10 disturb them None Of the re-
tolts were iumrcd All of the iron framework did
not como down but what is left Is twisted to-
ucthcr i'tn n conceivable shapes There was NOT
enough interruption to interfere with gas making.
The cause of the accident is unknown. The
building was built in 1861 but II could not he
learned whether the roof - the same rs was put
on at that time. The present root was inspected
ri ont "A month ago bN the engineer Ol the gas
WO Ks. and in his Op'nlon few ~ AIRS, which
were aftcrwaM attended to. were all that was
necessary to mix j. IN first class condition Many
o. the broken pieces Of iron on the ends showed
that tlcy were badly rusicd. and il Is SAID that
the gas VaUorS wci"htcd with moisture and heat
iavord chemical changes ~ the iron. None Of the
of'ioigiS of the .1S company who were seen ~ the
wo Ks could civ" cXI lanaiion 0f tho e. ing
Of tie roof except that it must have been more
rusty than it seemed ~ bc.
NEW LANDS ON THE NORTHERN PICTFYC.
EXCHANGING CERTAIN TRACTS FOR OTHERS IN
DAKOTA
ST. PAUL. Oct 10 (Sorcith.-rhe Northern Pacific,
through Mr. Dldlcy of the legal department hod YES
crlay IN the Land Office Bismarck OAK lists descrb'
ing large amount of land in Minnesota. In lien of Which
the selection made the Bismarck District were taken;
list OF the lands they desired 10 get In lieu o th"sc
Rice Reservation THIS Is also an Official al
mission ~ their abandonment OF all claims 10 added sec
tons in the old Rice The lands they select